Ethics in private and public relationships

Dr Awdhesh Singh IRS (Retd.)

Director, Awdhesh Academy,

Former Commissioner, Customs and Indirect Taxes

Continued…

Conscience

• Conscience is a faculty of the mind that motivates us to act morally or according to our most deeply held values.

• The word conscience is derived from the Latin word ‘conscientia’ which stands for ‘privity of knowledge’ (Secret knowledge).

• It is an inner feeling that guides us to perform the right action and avoid the bad ones.

• Conscience is sometimes regarded as the voice of God/Atman (soul) and therefore a completely reliable guide of conduct.

Views about conscience

• Source • Intuitionism: Conscience to be an innate, intuitive faculty determining the

perception of right and wrong.

• Empiricism: Conscience to be a cumulative and subjective inference from past experience giving direction to future conduct.

• Behavioural scientist view conscience as a set of learned responses to particular social stimuli.

• According to Freud, the superego is formed by the child’s incorporation of moral values through parental approval or punishment.

• The resulting internalised set of prohibitions, condemnations and inhibitions is that part of the superego known as conscience.

Types of Conscience

• Antecedent conscience: It helps a person decide the morality of an action before doing it. It would either permit or forbid the action to be taken.

• Consequent conscience: This conscience infers the judgement of the mind after the action has been undertaken. If the conscience approves our action, we feel happy and peaceful. If our conscience disapproves our action, we feel guilty and unhappy.

• Correct conscience: This conscience tells us when something is a good or a bad choice and whether this decision is in agreement with what that thing actually is according to the objective law.

• Erroneous conscience: When a person judges something incorrectly. When something is bad he thinks it is good and when it is good he thinks it is bad.

Types of Conscience (Continued)

• Certain conscience: When a person is convinced without any doubt that an action is good or bad.

• Doubtful conscience: When a person cannot choose between good and bad choices. In this situation, a person is unable to decide and act correctly.

• Lax conscience: When a person sees no sin where there actually is sin. Such type of conscience is a result of ignoring the voice of conscience for long and repeatedly doing actions against your conscience.

• Scrupulous conscience: It is a type of conscience where a man sees an act or action as morally wrong when the act is not actually so.

Voice of Conscience

• Voice of conscience is the result of our social conditioning, which becomes a ‘learned instinct’. • Example: Lying is bad .

• Sometimes conscience is based on reason which warns you of dire consequences if you are attempting to do something illegal or immoral. • Example: Cheating on your spouse, accepting bribe

• Our conscience can be conditioned by upbringing and training.• Example: Army, Butcher, Meat-eating

Conflict of Conscience

• When the voice of conscience shows two different paths, which contradict each other.

• When we can’t follow both the paths and we have to forego one path to take another.

• These situations are similar to ethical dilemma • Example: Police encounter vs. Investigation, Love vs. arranged marriage

Crisis of Conscience

• Crisis of conscience happens when we are worrying or feeling uncomfortable because we think that we have done something unfair or morally wrong.

• It is reflected in the form of guilt or remorse. • Example: Corruption in government, donation in politics, marketing in

business

Ethical Guidance of Law and Conscience

• Right action is under two types of fears • Fear of God (fear of conscience )

• Fear of rod (fear of punishment by law)

• When there are too many laws, enforcement becomes difficult and even ineffective.

• The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be. Lao-Tzu

• Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. (Plato)

Ethics in Private and Public Relationship

Application of Ethics

• Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct.

• The concept of ethics varies in private and public domain.

• “It is not wise to apply to public administration the sort of moral and ethical norms we apply to matters of personal conscience. It is important to realize that the state bureaucracy might possess its own independent bureaucratic morality.” (Max Webar, a principal architect of modern social science along with Karl Marx and Emil Durkheim)

Private and Public Relationships

• Private world includes our family and friends, • We solve the problems by mutual agreement because we know each other quite

well.

• We are connected with each other by the bond of love, compassion and trust.

• We have long term interest in each other

• When the size of members in a group becomes large, we have to follow different standards of ethics are followed in public domain.

• Public relations involve relationship between individual in public sphere. • We are identified by our position in the institution

• Need to follow the prescribed laws, rules and regulations

• Laws are rigid and non-observance may lead to punishment

Ethics in Private Relationships

• We have intimate and informal relationship in our private world

• In our personal domain, we are like a sovereigns.

• We make our own rules and laws

• Everyone tries to help each other due to their mutual feelings of love and compassion.

• We practice love and compassion.

• We may forgive when someone commits a mistake.

• We even punish ourselves for the mistake of our loved ones.

Basic principles governing private ethics

• Private relationships may be inherited and they are more durable

• We choose our friends and unfriend them if relationship gets sour

• The virtue ethics and relationship ethics play more important roles.

• We expect our loved ones to be virtuous, caring, honest and truthful to us

• We practice love, compassion, forgiveness for mutual benefit

• Golden rule : Do unto others as you would have them do to you

• Karl Marx: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs

Consequence of being unethical in private life

• If we don’t follow ethical principles in our private life, we lose love, compassion, trust and faith of the people whom we love

• This is far more painful to us than the punishment meted out by the state for breaking a law

Basic Principles Governing Public Relationship

• Public Relation (PR) is a management function that involves monitoring and evaluating public attitudes and maintaining mutual relations and understanding between an organisation and its public.

• Public includes shareholders, government, consumers, employees and the media.

• Public relationship is the act of getting along with people we constantly come in touch with.

• Public relationship is spread over a much larger number of people.

• The deontology and utilitarian ethics play more important roles in public relationship.

Concept of Public Interest

• Public interest means the welfare or well-being of the general public in contrast to the selfish interest of a person, group or firm.

• The principles of public interest are as follows:

The principles of public interest

1. Principle of Participation: People must participate in decision-making of the government. Draft proposals may invite public opinion before they are finalised.

2. Principle of Charity: The government’s resources should be distributed in a way that they benefit the maximum number of people in the society.

3. Principle of Subsidiarity: The decisions should be taken as close as possible to the communities involved and not at the top level.

4. Principle of Autonomy: The government must allow the people to live life how they want.

5. Principle of Transparency: All the decision-making of the civil servant must be transparent and explicit.

Public Relationship functions

• PR officers guarantee internal unity in the company by maintaining a clear communications network between the management and the various personnel.

• PR improves channels of communication within an organisation and to establish new ways of setting up a two-way flow of information and understanding.

Learning public relations

• We learn to develop public relationships from early childhood as we have to deal with a large number of people as soon as we step out of our homes.

• We deal with different peoples like• Schoolmates

• Teachers

• Neighbours.

• Colleagues

• Various stakeholders like suppliers, consumers, etc.

Ethics in Private and Public Relations

• Private relationships lead to self-interest where the person in interested in benefiting the people who are related to him.

• Ethics in private relations help in humanising public relations and plays an important role in forming the base for the moral values of a person.

• When dealing with public, we must take care of public interest

• As an individual we have to take care of our private interest

• We must balance the self-interest and public interest

Self Interest and Selfishness

• Self interest is a concern for one’s own well-being.• Self-interest is essential for one’s happiness

• Self interest enables us to identify our needs and fulfil them

• Self interest includes caring for each others for mutual benefit.

• Selfishness means being concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself. • A selfish person seeks own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard

for others.

• Selfishness is undesirable and unethical,

• It is harmful to self and society in long run.

Ethics in Public Relationships

• Develop strong code of ethics and code of conduct

• Prescribe penalties for violating those codes.

• All employees to follow the codes strictly

• Dwight Waldo (an American political scientist and a defining figure in modern public administration) provides twelve areas of ethical claim on public officials.

‘Code of Ethics’ and ‘Code of Conduct’

• Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct are the standards that a group must adhere to, so as to remain the member of the organisation.

• Code of ethics are a set of principles which influence the judgement

• Code of conduct are a set of guidelines that influence employee’s actions.

Code of Ethics

• The code of ethics represents a set of principles which influence the judgement of the person.

• It describes the core values of the organisation that guides decision-making.

• The code of ethics may include values like honesty, political neutrality, and impartiality which must guide an officer while taking a decision.

Areas of ethical claim on public officials

1. Constitution

2. Law

3. Nation

4. Country or people

5. Democracy

6. Organisational/Bureaucratic norms

7. Profession and professionalism

8. Family and friends

9. Self

10. Public interest and general welfare

11. Humanity

12. Religion or God

Challenges before public official

• The ethical obligations become complex when there is a conflict between different principles. • Conflict between bureaucratic norms, law, professional values, family

commitment

• Conflict between professional judgment & public interest,

• Conflict between one’s own professional or personal interests.

• Example: Police encounter, transfer-posing, conflict of interest

Code of Conduct

• Code of Conduct are the actual set of rules, or ethical standards, issued by the organisation that provides do(s) and don’t(s) to govern the actions of a person.

• All the members must adhere to these codes,

• If a member violates these provisions, action may be taken against him.

• Code of conduct may include provisions like not accepting a gift beyond a specified value from a person with whom the organisation does business, and not joining a political party, etc.

Unethical Practices in Public Relationships

• Spreading false and malicious news about opponents

• Suppressing the unfavourable information of self

• Trolling and defaming the opponents on social media platforms

• Paid news to get publicity in newspapers

• Making false claims about their products and services

Consequences of unethical practice

• Once the lie of the fraudulent PR is detected, people lose trust

• ‘You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.’ (Abraham Lincoln)

Benefits of observing Ethical Codes

• Specific activities are prohibited and the penalty is also prescribed for violating them.

• Helps employee avoid the possibility of conflict of interest and moral degradation.

• Develop confidence in the public regarding integrity, morality and fair play

Ethical Standards Prescribed by Nolan Committee

Committee on Standards in Public Life

• Nolan Committee was an independent advisory non-departmental public body to the Government of United Kingdom established in October 1994 by the Prime Minister, John Major.

• This was in response to concerns that conduct by some politicians was unethical.

The terms of reference

• To examine current concerns about standards of conduct of all holders of public office, including arrangements relating to financial and commercial activities, and make recommendations as to any changes in present arrangements which might be required to ensure the highest standards of propriety in public life.

• The term "public office" was defined to include ministers, civil servants and advisers and MPs.

The Nolan principles

• The Committee's First Report in 1995 established ‘The Seven Principles of Public Life’,

• These principles are also known as “Nolan principles".

1: Selflessness:

• The holder of public offices (Public servants) should act solely in terms of the public interest.

• They should not do so to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.

2: Integrity

• Public servants should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organizations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

3: Objectivity

• Public servants should make choices on merit and facts not on personal judgements while carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits,

4: Accountability

• Public servants should be accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

5: Openness

• Public servants should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions they take.

• They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

6: Honesty

• Public servants have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

7: Leadership

• Public servants should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

UPSC Questions on Ethics in public and private relationships • The crisis of ethical values in modern times is traced to a narrow

perception of the good life. Discuss. (CSE 2017)• Explain how ethics contributes to social and human well-being. (CSE 2016)• Differentiate between the following:

a. Law and Ethicsb. Ethical management and Management of ethicsc. Discrimination and Preferential treatmentd. Personal ethics and Professional ethics (200 words) (CSE 2015)

• Without commonly shared and widely entrenched moral values and obligations, neither the law, nor the democratic government, nor even the market economy will function properly. What do you understand by this statement? Explain this with illustrations and by referring to contemporary times. (150 words) (CSE 2017)

UPSC Questions

• “Max Webar said that it is not wise to apply to public administration the sort of moral and ethical norms we apply to matters of personal conscience. It is important to realize that the state bureaucracy might possess its own independent bureaucratic morality.” Critically analysethis statement. (150 words) (CSE 2016)

• What is meant by public interest? What are the principles and procedures to be followed by the civil servants in public interest? (150 words) (CSE 2018)

• What are the basic principles of public life? Illustrate any three with suitable examples. (150 words) (CSE 2019)